Cookies And Cream Cinnamon Rolls

Just when you thought cinnamon rolls couldn't get better, we added chocolate cookies and a creamy icing to make these incredibly gooey and rich cookies and cream cinnamon rolls. The interior of the cinnamon rolls is light and tender, and the bottoms are a little crispy and glazed from the filling. There's chocolate in the filling, cookies in the icing, and loads of flavor from top to bottom.

We opted not to include crushed cookies in the filling or dough because they soften after a long proof and bake and end up with a texture we did not love. Instead, we added cocoa powder and cinnamon to the filling to complement the chocolate in the icing. And the icing—oh, the icing! It really delivers the cookies and cream flavor profile.

Learn how to make cookies and cream cinnamon rolls, and serve these up for a special breakfast, birthday brunch, or holiday dessert.

Ingredients for Cookies and Cream Cinnamon Rolls

Give homemade cinnamon rolls a cookies-and-cream makeover. Here are the ingredients you'll need.

• For the Dough: Bread milk is the flour we like, as it lends these rolls a much fluffier crumb once baked. You'll want to use instant or quick-rising yeast to get these rolls moving along in the two rounds of proofing. Milk, granulated sugar, butter, vanilla extract, and kosher salt finish out the dough.
• For the Filling: A classic filling uses sugar, cinnamon, and a pinch of kosher salt. But for the cookie flavor, we're adding unsweetened cocoa. It's all spread on a layer of softened unsalted butter.
• For the Icing: Cream cheese is the base of the icing, and it melts beautifully when spread over the hot rolls. It's mixed with butter, powdered sugar, salt, vanilla extract, and a hefty dose of cream-filled chocolate sandwich cookies. A final sprinkle of cookies finishes off these rolls.

How To Make Cookies and Cream Cinnamon Rolls

As with all yeasted cinnamon rolls, you'll need time for these to rise (twice). But besides that, this is a fairly straightforward recipe. Here's a brief outline; the full recipe is further below.

• Make the dough: We use the Tangzhong (a Japanese technique for making milk breads) method for these rolls: You cook a percentage of the flour and liquid in your recipe until the consistency resembles pudding. The liquid gelatinizes the starches, which can hold onto water better, producing softer rolls. Bread flour is traditionally used in this method, so that’s what we called for.
• Make the filling: While the dough is rising the first time, make the filling and set it aside.
• Roll out the dough: Once the dough has risen, it's time to roll out and assemble the rolls. Once you've made a rectangle of dough, spread the butter, and sprinkle on the filling. Then roll the dough, and cut into individual rolls. We suggest a sharp knife so you can more cleanly cut the soft dough.
• Second rise: Move the individual rolls to a buttered cast-iron skillet, and let them rise again.
• Bake: Bake until the rolls are cooked through. Remove, and let cool 20 minutes.
• Make the icing: While the rolls cool slightly, make the icing.
• Spread the icing: Finish the rolls by spreading the icing over the warm rolls. Sprinkle with remaining cookies, and serve.

Tips for the Best Cinnamon Rolls

If you're not an experienced cinnamon roll maker, you don't have to worry. We've got some great tips for making them even better and easier. And, once you make your first batch, you'll feel confident to make these all the time.

• Use a bench knife, a sharp chef’s knife, or a serrated knife to cut the cinnamon rolls so you don't smash them and can keep that vibrant spiral.
• Aim for a rectangle rather than an oval when rolling out the dough for pretty and evenly shaped cinnamon rolls.
• Leaving a bit more space in the center of the cast-iron skillet (and not overloading it with rolls) helps with the overall bake of the whole skillet, as the ones on the edge will bake much faster than the center rolls.

How To Store Cookies and Cream Cinnamon Rolls

Store leftover cinnamon rolls in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. Reheat in 10-second intervals in the microwave if you want the rolls warm again before enjoying.

A genius tip from the Test Kitchen: Place cinnamon rolls, icing side up, on the lid of an airtight container. Then, place the container on top of the cinnamon rolls so the icing won't be squished.

How To Freeze Cookies and Cream Cinnamon Rolls

Freeze baked, uniced cinnamon rolls individually, and thaw them in the microwave until warm.

You can also freeze all of the baked cinnamon rolls together, once cool. Wrap them in plastic wrap, then aluminum foil, and store in an ziplock bag or airtight container up to 3 months in the freezer. Thaw overnight in the fridge, and warm in the oven. While the rolls are warming, make the icing, and spread it on the rolls just before serving.

Substitutions and Variations

If you want to change a few things up, consider these ideas from the Test Kitchen:

• Substitute the classic cream-filled chocolate Oreos for Golden Oreos or any sandwich cookies you like.
• Add some cocoa powder to the dough for a darker color.
• Use black cocoa powder instead of regular cocoa powder in the filling. Black cocoa powder has a deeper chocolate flavor, closer to the classic Oreo flavor.

More Breakfast Breads

If you love these cinnamon rolls, try one of these favorites next:

• Ambrosia Cinnamon Rolls
  
• Christmas Morning Cinnamon Rolls
• Cinnamon Rolls With Cream Cheese Frosting
• Red Velvet Cinnamon Rolls
• Caramel Rolls